Layer upon layer of history, modern restored warehouses and some of the best seafood tavernas around – step into characterful Kavala.

Kavala (Greece)

Layer upon layer of history, modern restored warehouses and some of the best seafood tavernas around – step into characterful Kavala.

Kavala city is a beautiful balance of urban spaces, beaches and lush green foothills

Trickling down the slopes of Mt Symvolo in northern Greece, Kavala opens its arms as you approach from the sea. Built like an amphitheater hugging the hills and embracing the seafront, you’ll want to get straight into exploring this absorbing city. Modern neoclassical mansions, Byzantine monuments and Islamic architecture evoke its long and varied history.

Taking your first steps along its palm-lined port, the smell of charcoal-grilled seafood and sight of fishing boats unloading their haul will tickle your senses to life. Converted tobacco warehouses also line the front with bars, restaurants and picturesque spots to enjoy typical Kavala weather and long, lingering sunsets.

Home to a whole host of religious sites that you’ll find dotted around the city, the old town is filled with multihued buildings, a castle with commanding views over the horizon and an Acropolis built on the ruins of the old Byzantine castle. Alternatively, find time for yourself in one of the perfect, tranquil beaches surrounding the city.

The Kamares (arches)

A feat of Turkish engineering, the incredible height of the Kamares aqueduct will have you mesmerised for hours. Soaring high at 52-meters, it features sixty arches of four different sizes built on the foundations of the city’s ancient Byzantine walls. It’s the impressive work of Suleiman the Magnificent and is one of Kavala’s many listed cultural highlights.

The Imaret (Islamic architecture)

In the heart of the oldest district in the city, the Imaret stands proud as a unique example of Islamic architecture and the ever-lasting eastern influences on Kavala. Its lead domes and numerous chimneys pop up over the skyline concealing a maze of lavish state rooms and beautiful gardens. Originally founded by Mehmet-Ali Pasha as a religious school, the Imaret has changed with the times from a refuge to a modern-day luxury hotel – the first of its kind in Greece.

The Kamares (arches)

A feat of Turkish engineering, the incredible height of the Kamares aqueduct will have you mesmerised for hours. Soaring high at 52-meters, it features sixty arches of four different sizes built on the foundations of the city’s ancient Byzantine walls. It’s the impressive work of Suleiman the Magnificent and is one of Kavala’s many listed cultural highlights.

The Imaret (Islamic architecture)

In the heart of the oldest district in the city, the Imaret stands proud as a unique example of Islamic architecture and the ever-lasting eastern influences on Kavala. Its lead domes and numerous chimneys pop up over the skyline concealing a maze of lavish state rooms and beautiful gardens. Originally founded by Mehmet-Ali Pasha as a religious school, the Imaret has changed with the times from a refuge to a modern-day luxury hotel – the first of its kind in Greece.

A feat of Turkish engineering, the incredible height of the Kamares aqueduct will have you mesmerised for hours. Soaring high at 52-meters, it features sixty arches of four different sizes built on the foundations of the city’s ancient Byzantine walls. It’s the impressive work of Suleiman the Magnificent and is one of Kavala’s many listed cultural highlights.

In the heart of the oldest district in the city, the Imaret stands proud as a unique example of Islamic architecture and the ever-lasting eastern influences on Kavala. Its lead domes and numerous chimneys pop up over the skyline concealing a maze of lavish state rooms and beautiful gardens. Originally founded by Mehmet-Ali Pasha as a religious school, the Imaret has changed with the times from a refuge to a modern-day luxury hotel – the first of its kind in Greece.

Amazing excursions carefully curated by Celestyal Cruises’s experts

| EXCURSION |

Neapolis & Philippi

Half Day: Up to 4 ½ hours

Kavala balances its modern urban spaces with beautiful beaches and lush green hinterlands. The city is home to a number of monuments from the first and second millennia after Christ, many of which are today pilgrimage sites.
Highlights
St. Lydia Purpuraria:
Lydia was the first Christian convert in Europe. A Church-Baptistery and an open-air Baptistery by the riverside are located where her holy baptism took place, similar to the ones preserved in the early Christian basilicas in Philippi.
PHILIPPI:
The archaeological site will feature a guided tour through the excavations, marveling at the upper and lower parts as well as the Forum, the Walls, the two Basilicas and the Theatre. Your guide will also point out the traditional prison, which once held St. Paul and St. Sylas.
St. Paul’s Monument:
Commemorating the location where St. Paul set foot on the European Continent during his second missionary journey, establishing a thriving Christian church in the nearby city of Philippi.

Kavala balances its modern urban spaces with beautiful beaches and lush green hinterlands. The city is home to a number of monuments from the first and second millennia after Christ, many of which are today pilgrimage sites.
Highlights
St. Lydia Purpuraria:
Lydia was the first Christian convert in Europe. A Church-Baptistery and an open-air Baptistery by the riverside are located where her holy baptism took place, similar to the ones preserved in the early Christian basilicas in Philippi.
PHILIPPI:
The archaeological site will feature a guided tour through the excavations, marveling at the upper and lower parts as well as the Forum, the Walls, the two Basilicas and the Theatre. Your guide will also point out the traditional prison, which once held St. Paul and St. Sylas.
St. Paul’s Monument:
Commemorating the location where St. Paul set foot on the European Continent during his second missionary journey, establishing a thriving Christian church in the nearby city of Philippi.